Misc Traditional – Salonika (Guitar)
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This is another variation on a popular Irish wartime folk song that was sung during the second World War and subsequently into the Irish War of Independence and Civil War. The song is sung from the perspective of a woman who's husband was a conscripted soldier that had been away for some time. The song was popularised by Cork musician Jimmy Crowley, who based his version on the singing of Cork singer Helena Ronayne,
I've heard a few different versions over the years. The Dubliner's version was popular in my family but my Granda used to sing slightly different words. He worked on the bins for the Corpo as a young man in 50's/60's Dublin and said the women in the flats in town would sing it when they were hanging their washing.
My version is more like the one sung by excellent folk group Lankum who sing slightly different words with Dublin references instead of Cork ones. Lankum argue the song originated in Dublin and have cited the writings of Brendan Behan, who mentioned it was a popular song around Dublin in the 1920's and noted that there was other variations on some of the verses.
The fact is, there was probably many different versions sung across Ireland but most of the versions heard today are sung to the tune of Jimmy Crowley's version... I've always sung the lyrics the way me Nannie and Granda used to when I was young.
[Capo to Suit Vocals]
G D D G F
[Verse 1]
G D Me husband's in Salonika I do wonder if he's dead, G D I do wonder if he knows he has a kid with a poxy head, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 2]
G D So when the war is over what will the soldiers do, G D They'll be hoppin' around with a leg and a half, while the slackers they've got two, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 3]
G D And when the war is over what will the slackers do, G D They'll be hangin' around the soldiers lookin' for a bob or two, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 4]
G D Well they taxed a pound of butter, the taxed the ha'penny bun, G D But with all their bleedin' taxin' they can't bate the bleedin Huns, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 5]
G D And taxed the tae and sugar, soon they'll tax the Liberty Hall. G D Why don't they tax the bobbies with their backs against the wall G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 6]
G D And when the war is over what will the slackers do, G D For every kid in America down the tenements there' be two, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 7]
G D They took us down the phoeno and they sat us on our arse, G D They told us go the Catholic way and they sent us off mass, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 8]
G D We've lino in the parlour and in the kitchen too, G D And a lovely crystal chandelier that we got from Dickie Drew, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 9]
G D So never marry a bobby girls, a soldier or a marine, G D But keep your eye out for a Sinn Fein boy with his yellow, white and green, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.
[Verse 10]
C D So me husband's in Salonika, I wonder if he's dead, G D I wonder if he knows he has a kid with a poxy head, G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy. G D So right away, so right away, D7 G So right away Salonika, right away me soldier boy.